January 27, 2009

House GOP bets that a frugal image trumps a right-wing reputation

President Obama has apparently decided to offer House Republicans a bone by removing funds for "family planning" -- not only birth control, but also care for newborns -- from his economic stimulus bill:

Under the [likely to be deleted] provision, states no longer would be required to obtain federal permission to offer family planning services — including contraceptives — under Medicaid, the health program for the low-income...

While the debate surrounding the overall impact of the measure pits
economists and their statistics against one another, Republicans
quickly seized on the family planning money as evidence that the
Democrats were advancing an agenda that went beyond the economy.

Initial reports are treating the elimination of family planning fund as a victory for the Republicans and a sign that Obama may be outmaneuvered in his dealings with Congress. But I wonder if Obama is gambling that the image of the Republican Party as far to the right of center on social issues may outweigh any gains the GOP is expecting from being tight-fisted with taxpayers' money.